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Q & A (continued) knockdown is absolutely necessary. Often, just being able to remove the base and crown is enough. Hardware may not even be the answer: I've seen many large old case pieces held together with loose joinery (such as tusk tenons and wedges) and cleverly fitted parts. In any case, you should figure out how you're going to break down your entertainment center first, purchase any necessary hardware and then design the piece around the construction requirements of the hardware. [Niall Barrett builds furniture and cabinetry in arrowsburg, NY] Drying and spalted maple Awhile back, Ifound several maple logs that had been in the mud for a long time but were still well-preserved, so I had them sawn into boards. As you might expect, the spalting is dramatic. I now find myself the owner of several hundred board feet of beautiful, spalted maple. How should I dry this lumber? fIni된hin g And what finish should I use to maintain the wood's present colors? -Daniel Ida, Reedsburg, Wis. Jon Arno replies: Although it is beautiful, spalted wood is not so fragile as to require special treatment. It doesn't make much difference whether you airdry the wood or have it kiln-dried, but air-drying will take awhile longer. Meanwhile, the fungi responsible for the wood's beautiful, marble-like veins of color will continue to propagate and devour the wood until it becomes dry enough to force them into dormancy, which is somewhere around 18% moisture content. Although temperatures within a drying kiln may get high enough to kill the fungi and sterilize the wood, the spores of these decay-causing organisms are so prevalent in the atmosphere that even kiln-dried wood will become reinfected if its moisture content is allowed to creep above this critical level. The long-term moisture content of wood used in interior applications FROM The OODWORKER'S Hundreds of bookS on all Send for your FREE catalog. New York State's Largest Over 315·478·5751 50 has moved, offering the same great service from our new Syracuse location. POWE된惈㭨၀nC' dealer different machines in Stock. Syracuse Industrial Sales (division of Northland Woodworking Supply, Inc.) 713 E. Fayette St., Syracuse, READ ER SERVICE NO. 47 NY 13210 Fax: 315·472·0855 3845 N. Blackstone • Fresno, CA IN READ PUBLISHI NG ER SERVICE NO. 152 93726 • FAX (209) 227-3520 VEGA SAW FENCES NE ARE SUPERIOR! Vega Fences wi\1 add unequa\1ed accuracy, productivity, and convenience to your Table Saw ... Pro, Utility and Commercial Models are ideal for Cabinet to Contractors Saws. Accessories are available for greater conve· nience and productivit . Vega uses only the finest materials available. W COMMERCIAL MODEL AVAIL된惈LE y Call or write for free literature READ 38 Fine Woodworking ER SERVICE NO. 9 Vega Enterprises RR3 Box 193 Decatur II. 62526 S00-222·VEGA (8342) ER SERVICE NO. 22 READ Gall toll nee in USA complete catalog on & Canada it all. 800-345-4447. wide web at generally remains in the 10% to 15% range, so there is virtually no risk of waking up the little devils. However, using spalted wood for exterior projects is not advisable. As for preserving the color of the wood, the pigments in spalted wood are not particularly fugitive. The application of penetrating oil, wax, varnish or lacquer may cause subtle changes in the color or heighten the contrast. But they're not important in a protective sense, other than for their ability to retard the wood's exchange of moisture with the surrounding air. Spalting is simply an attractive form of blue stain된惈g, a condition normally viewed as a defect, and one that is virtually impossible to bleach out or hide. The flip side of this is good news for fans of spalted wood: Its color is there to stay. Do you have a question you'd like us to consider for the column? Send it to Questions PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506 & Answers, Fine Woodworking,